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Close to 1,000 people, including more than 500 children, hunted for 3,000 decorated eggs hidden by the Easter bunny at U.S. Army Garrison-Kaiserslautern’s Eggstravaganza at Pulaski Park on Pulaski Barracks.
This year saw four times the number of people than last year, which held the previous record, said Bob Bigelow, the garrison’s community recreation officer.
Held as one of the garrison’s Month of the Military Child events, Eggstravaganza also fits into the Army Family Covenant – a commitment by Army leadership to improve the quality of life for families – by bringing a familiar family stateside event overseas, said Steve Selvey, the garrison’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s Kaiserslautern Outdoor Recreation manager, who was in charge of this year’s event.
“It was a great event, (it) ran very smoothly and we tried to fit everybody’s needs,” said Mr. Selvey, who also said he handed out hundreds of extra eggs at the park entrance for late arrivals.
Good thing too – as those thousands of hidden eggs were gone in a matter of minutes, Mr. Selvey said.
The Easter bunny, who was at the event greeting and posing for pictures with children and their parents, also handed out eggs for children who missed the hunt.
Emma Brown, 3, climbed, slid and ran throughout the park’s playground – still, she had no luck in finding any eggs. However, she didn’t have to go to Mr. Selvey or the Easter bunny for eggs. Tyler Araujo, 4, and Abigail Sausaman, 3, each gave her two eggs when they saw how disappointed she was at not finding any eggs.
“Because she didn’t have any – she was sad,” said Tyler.
“Easter egg hunts are supposed to be fun, and when he heard that she didn’t get any eggs, he just decided to give her some because he had plenty,” said Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Araujo, from the 86th Aeromedical Squadron and Tyler’s mother. “One is really all children need to be happy – there’s candy inside.”
Ulrike Rheinhardt, Emma’s mother, a nurse at the Westpflzklinik in Kaiserslautern, said she was really glad she bought her four children to the free event to give them a taste of American culture.
“(Germans) do have Easter egg hunts, but it’s something you do in your own yard and the Easter bunny isn’t there – that’s why I thought it was extra special,” she said.
Decorated eggs of various sizes and filled with candies were hidden in four areas, blocked off into four age groups.
